Biometric financial transaction system and method

• US 20020019811A1
• Filed: 05/30/2001
• Published: 02/14/2002
• Est. Priority Date: 05/31/2000
• Status: Active Grant

• Current Assignee: International Business Machines Corporation
• Original Assignee: Veristar Corporation
• Inventors: Lapsley, Philip D., Gioia, Philip J., Kleeman, Michael
• Granted Patent: US 7,565,329 B2
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 705/44
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 10/10 Office automation; Time management
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/02 involving a neutral party, e.g. certification authority, notary or trusted third party [TTP]
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/04 Payment circuits
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/12 specially adapted for electronic shopping systems
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3674 involving authentication
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/3821 Electronic credentials
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40 Authorisation, e.g. identification of payer or payee, verification of customer or shop credentials; Review and approval of payers, e.g. check credit lines or negative lists
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/4014 Identity check for transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 20/40145 Biometric identity checks
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 30/06 Buying, selling or leasing transactions
• CPC Class Codes: G06Q 40/00 Finance; Insurance; Tax strategies; Processing of corporate or income taxes
• CPC Class Codes: G07C 9/37 using biometric data, e.g. fingerprints, iris scans or voice recognition
• CPC Class Codes: G16H 40/67 for remote operation

Abstract

Tokenless biometric authorization of an electronic transaction between a consumer and a merchant uses an electronic identicator and an access device. The access device need not contain data personalized to the consumer. A consumer registers with the identicator a registration biometric sample taken from the consumer'"'"'s person. The consumer and merchant establish mutual communications via the access device. The merchant proposes a commercial transaction to the consumer via the access device. The access device communicates to the merchant an identification code associated with the access device. After the consumer and merchant have agreed on the transaction, the consumer and the identicator use the access device to establish mutual communications. The access device communicates to the identicator the identification code associated with the access device. The identicator compares a bid biometric sample from the consumer with registered biometric sample to try to identify the consumer. Upon successful identification, the identicator electronically forwards information regarding the consumer to the merchant. These steps accomplish a biometrically authorized electronic financial transaction without the consumer having to present any personalized man-made memory tokens.

Claims

1. A method for tokenless biometric authorization of an electronic transaction between a consumer and a merchant using an electronic identicator and an access device wherein the access device is not required to contain in memory any data that is personalized to the consumer, the method comprising:

a consumer registration step, wherein a consumer registers with the electronic identicator at least one registration biometric sample taken directly from the consumer'"'"'s person;

a first communications establishment step, wherein the consumer and merchant establish communications with each other via an access device capable of biometric input;

a proposal step, wherein the merchant proposes a commercial transaction to the consumer via the access device;

a first access device identification step, wherein the access device communicates to the merchant an identification code associated with the access device;

a second communications establishment step, wherein after the consumer and merchant have agreed on the proposed commercial transaction, the consumer and the electronic identicator use the access device to establish communications with each other;

a second access device identification step, wherein the access device communicates to the electronic identicator the identification code associated with the access device;

a consumer identification step, wherein the electronic identicator compares a bid biometric sample taken directly from the consumer'"'"'s person with at least one previously registered biometric sample to produce a successful or failed identification of the consumer; and

an information forwarding step, wherein, upon successful identification of the consumer, the electronic identicator electronically forwards information regarding the consumer to the merchant;

wherein, upon successful identification of the consumer, a biometrically authorized electronic financial transaction is conducted without the consumer being required to present any personalized man-made memory tokens.

2. The method of claim 1 wherein the electronic identicator performs an electronic financial transaction authorization, further comprising the steps of:

a transaction forwarding step, wherein the merchant forwards information regarding the commercial transaction to the electronic identicator;

an identification code forwarding step, wherein the merchant communicates to the electronic identicator the identification code associated with the access device that was previously communicated to the merchant;

an association step, wherein the identification code associated with the access device is used to associate the biometric identification accomplished in the consumer identification step with the information regarding the commercial transaction; and

a financial transaction authorization step, wherein the electronic identicator executes a financial transaction on behalf of the merchant.

3. The method of claim 1 wherein the merchant performs an electronic financial transaction authorization, further comprising the steps of:

an identification code forwarding step, wherein the electronic identicator forwards to the merchant the identification code associated with the access device that was previously communicated to the electronic identicator;

an association step, wherein the identification codes associated with the access device are used to associate the information regarding the consumer with the commercial transaction; and

a financial transaction authorization step, wherein the merchant executes a financial transaction.

4. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding the consumer that is electronically forwarded to the merchant comprises at least one previously registered financial account identifier belonging to the consumer.

5. The method of claim 4 wherein the financial account identifier is selected from the set comprising:

a credit card number, a debit card number, a bank account number.

6. The method of claim 1 wherein the information regarding the consumer that is electronically forwarded to the merchant is selected from the set comprising:

the consumer'"'"'s age, the consumer'"'"'s name, the consumer'"'"'s address.

7. The method of claim 2 wherein the information regarding the consumer that is electronically forwarded to the merchant indicates the success or failure of the financial transaction authorization step.

8. The method of claim 1 wherein the access device is selected from the set comprising:

a wireline telephone, a wireless telephone, a two-way pager, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer.

9. The method of claim 1 wherein the identification code associated with the access device is selected from the set comprising:

a telephone number, an ESN number, a hardware identification code, an encryption of a challenge message with the access device'"'"'s private key.

10. The method of claim 1 wherein the communication of the identification code associated with the access device is accomplished via caller ID.

11. The method of claim 1 wherein the first communications establishment step comprises a telephone call.

12. The method of claim 1 wherein the second communications establishment comprises a telephone call.

13. The method of claim 1 wherein the second communications establishment comprises three way calling.

14. The method of claim 1 wherein the second communications establishment comprises packet switching.

15. The method of claim 1 wherein the second communications establishment comprises induced three-way calling.

16. The method of claim 2 wherein the transaction forwarding step uses a communication method selected from the set comprising:

a dedicated communication line, a dial-up communication line, packet switching.

17. The method of claim 1 wherein the consumer registration step further comprises the consumer registering at least one financial account identifier with the electronic identicator.

18. The method of claim 1 wherein the biometric used is selected from the set comprising:

a finger image, a facial image, a retinal image, an iris image, a voiceprint.

19. The method of claim 1 wherein agreement on the proposed commercial transaction is accomplished by a method selected from the set comprising:

oral agreement, written agreement, use of touch-tones, use of a mouse to click an “

accept”

icon, use of a stylus to tap an “

accept”

icon.

20. A system for tokenless biometric authorization of an electronic transaction between a consumer and a merchant, comprising:

an electronic identicator, comprising at least one computer further comprising at least one database wherein the consumer registers at least one registration biometric sample taken directly from the consumer'"'"'s person;

an access device capable of establishing communications between the consumer and the merchant, and between the consumer and the electronic identicator, and further comprising biometric input means, said access device not being required to contain in memory any data that is personalized to the consumer;

communication means for enabling communications between the consumer and the merchant, and between the consumer and the electronic identicator, and capable of transmission of a bid biometric sample obtained by the access device from the person of the consumer to the electronic identicator;

a comparator engine for comparing a bid biometric sample to at least one registration biometric sample; and

an execution module for authorizing a transfer of a transaction amount from a financial account of the consumer to a financial account of the payor;

wherein a financial transaction is conducted without the consumer being required to possess any man-made tokens containing information in memory that is personalized to the consumer.

21. The system of claim 20 wherein the execution module is located at the merchant.

22. The system of claim 20 wherein the execution module is located at the electronic identicator.

23. The system of claim 20 wherein the execution module is operated by a third-party financial transaction processor.

24. The system of claim 20 wherein the electronic identicator'"'"'s database stores at least one of the items in the set comprising:

a consumer'"'"'s name, a consumer'"'"'s age, a consumer'"'"'s address, a financial account identifier belonging to a consumer.

25. The system of claim 20 wherein the access device biometric input means is selected from the set comprising:

a microphone for voice input, a finger image scanner for fingerprint input, a camera for facial image input, an iris scanner for inputting an image of the iris, a retinal scanner for inputting an image of the retina.

26. The system of claim 20 wherein the bid biometric sample is selected from the set comprising:

a finger image, a facial image, a retinal image, an iris image, a voiceprint.

27. The system of claim 20 wherein the registration biometric sample is selected from the set comprising:

a finger image, a facial image, a retinal image, an iris image, a voiceprint.

28. The system of claim 20 wherein the communication means is selected from the set comprising:

a wired telephone connection, a wireless telephone connection, a wireless digital communications system, a packet-switched communication system, a circuit-switched communication system.

29. The system of claim 20 wherein the access device is selected from the set comprising:

a wireline telephone, a wireless telephone, a two-way pager, a personal digital assistant, a personal computer.